Digest

Digest | Week of March 24, 2025

How to Cover DOGE When It’s Family

March 25, 2025 | Charles M. Sennott | Columbia Journalism Review

Charles M. Sennott writes about his conflict of interest in reporting on the Elon Musk-led DOGE and the Trump administration, which his 26-year-old son Riley is a part of, acknowledging that while journalists should fully disclose their biases it can also get "impractical and invasive."

We ran the wrong headline about Trump firing the FTC commissioners

March 20, 2025 | Sarah Jeong | The Verge

The Verge's Sarah Jeong conducts a postmortem on coverage of Trump's illegal firing of FTC commissioners and explains why headlines use 'hedgy' language and why, she says, they shouldn't.

Inquirer closes community news desk, sparking outcry over diversity and equity goals

March 24, 2025 | Rick Edmonds | Poynter

Poytner covers the outrage over the shut-down of the three-year-old community news desk of The Philadelphia Inquirer, and what it means for the coverage of underserved communities as publications deal with costs of operation and the Trump administration's anti-DEI sentiment.

Advocates Explore Ways to Strengthen Local News in a Time of Crisis

March 24, 2025 | Sarah Stone | Free Press

At an event hosted by Free Press and Media Power Collaborative, panelists discussed not only the challenges faced by local communities in accessing credible news in difficult times, amid "mass deportations" and "skyrocketing costs," but also solutions to this problem.

How News Publications Are Changing to Protect Immigrant Sources

March 20, 2025 | Meghnad Bose | Columbia Journalism Review

Columbia Journalism Review's Meghnad Bose outlines how several outlets are adapting and changing their policies to offer additional protection to vulnerable sources.